


Judgment Day

by Butterballs



Series: First Times [8]
Category: The Hobbit (2012) RPF, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-29
Updated: 2013-04-29
Packaged: 2017-12-09 21:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/778369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterballs/pseuds/Butterballs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aidan's parents show up in New Zealand unexpectedly it's up to Dean to keep him from losing his cool. (Alternatively, 'the first time Dean meets the Turners'.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Judgment Day

**Author's Note:**

> At the time of writing Google was coming up with nothing as to the real names of Aidan's parents so I have made them up. (Shouldn't really be an issue given that this is fiction :P)
> 
> Also, this was somewhat difficult for me to write, as there's no porn and minimal banter so I'm scared to death that it sucks. If that is the case please tell me gently.

‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Fuck. Fuck fuck. Fuck.’

‘Also, fuck,’ Dean adds helpfully. Aidan doesn’t look up from where his face is buried in his hands, elbows resting on his thighs.

‘It’s not funny, Dean,’ he complains, rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyeballs. 

‘Do I look like I’m laughing?’

They’re in the back of a cab on the way to the airport – having wisely decided that both of them were likely still over the limit – and Dean was doing his best to console his boyfriend who, while surprisingly not at all hysterical, looked on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.

‘Think about it logically, Aidan,’ Dean says softly. ‘Would they really have come all this way just to bawl you out some more? Or to disown you? I’m pretty sure that can be done with Skype and paperwork, it’d be a waste of a very long, expensive plane trip.’

‘It’s probably just healthy Catholic guilt,’ Aidan mutters. ‘They would’ve been to mass and heard about how it’s the time of the year for forgiveness and all that shit.’

‘Aidan – ‘

‘ _They_ shouldn’t have to burn in Hell because their son likes the cock, sometimes,’ he continues, ignoring Dean.

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Dean says in exasperation, rolling his eyes.

‘What!’ Aidan yells suddenly, startling the driver, who glares at them in the rearview mirror. ‘You still don’t get it, do you, Dean? They’ve barely spoken to me for months, I felt like a stranger in my own home when I visited, and even then they only seemed to speak to me when it was to introduce some girl, and now they’re _here_ , with no fuckin’ warning at all, and I’m supposed to be happy about it?’

‘Well, yes. I mean, it could be worse.’

‘May I just cast your mind back to when you told _your_ parents, and how much you were shittin’ yourself – ‘

‘No you may not, because this is not about me, this is about you needing to grow some balls and talk to them like the fully-functioning grown-up you keep telling me you are, and like you told me I was when I was in the throes of _my_ panic attack.’ Dean pries Aidan’s fingers off his knee and squeezes his hand. ‘I’ll be right here, you know.’

‘I know, and what the hell is with that?’ Aidan says, over-gesticulating with his hands (just about poking Dean in the eye) to make up for the fact that he’s trying to keep his voice down. ‘They’ve both been pretending you don’t exist for however long and now they’re all like, “Oh and by the way bring your friend along”. Never mind the fact that they still probably can’t _think_ the word “boyfriend” without spontaneously combusting. Do they want to check that I’m not makin’ you up, or something? Or are they plannin’ on kidnapping you and removing the temptation of you from my life forever? Jesus _Christ_ , what if they’ve brought the fuckin’ IRA with them?’

‘We’re here,’ the driver says at the same time Dean replies to Aidan with, ‘That seems unlikely.’ He smiles at the cabbie gratefully, pays him (including a nice healthy tip that he hopes will buy the cabbie’s silence; God only knows how recognizable they are right now) and shoves Aidan out the door to meet his fate. 

‘I need a smoke,’ Aidan declares, filching the squashed pack from where it’s sticking out of Dean’s shirt pocket and lighting one up with shaky hands. 

‘Aren’t they waiting here, like, now?’

‘They can wait a little bit longer, I need a fag pronto to make sure I don’t have a heart attack in five minutes.’

Dean is about to point out everything medically wrong with what Aidan just said (to distract him, if nothing else) when a clear, musical and very Irish female voice calls out from behind them, ‘Goodness, Aidan, how many times have you told us you’re going to quit that filthy habit?’

The cigarette falls from Aidan’s mouth and bounces against the pavement where it’s quickly stamped out by Dean’s shoe. ‘Hi, mum,’ he says, and hesitantly turns around. ‘Hi, dad.’

Dean really doesn’t know what he’s been expecting Aidan’s mum and dad to look like but he’s pleasantly surprised. Both dark-haired and attractive (well, obviously, they produced Aidan after all), Aidan’s father has the same head of curls that Aidan can never seem to get under control, is taller than Aidan and clean-shaven. His mother is slim and only a couple of inches shorter than her son. Dean feels like a midget. 

Aidan accepts a stiff hug from each of his parents, the wide-eyed paranoia never leaving his face. ‘Erm, this is – ‘

‘Dean O’Gorman,’ Dean introduces himself, shaking Aidan’s father’s hand firmly. He may be on the shorter side but damn if he can’t give a manly, don’t-fuck-with-me handshake as well as the rest of them. 

‘Adrian Turner,’ Aidan’s father replies. ‘And this is my wife, Rosemary.’ She comes forward to offer Dean her hand, and Dean shakes it, although with less bone-crushing vigour than he’d given to Adrian.

They both look…oddly surprised by Dean. As if they’re expecting something different. Aidan has started wringing his hands anxiously, the way he always does when he’s desperate for a smoke, and says, ‘Um, where to from here?’

Adrian looks at his son. ‘I thought we might go back to wherever it is you’re staying.’ His eyes flick to Dean. ‘Your mother and I wanted to have a word. With the both of you,’ he adds. Dean raises an eyebrow.

‘I do have my own house, dad,’ Aidan says with a roll of his eyes. ‘Dean, can you hail a cab?’ 

Rosemary has already done that, though; there’s one pulling up beside them and she ushers them inside. Dean sits in the front seat. It’s his decision, not Aidan’s or Adrian’s or Rosemary’s, and he thinks he sees a flicker of approval from both of them. He provides Aidan’s address, asking that the driver stop by a grocery store first.

‘Why’s that?’ Rosemary asks curiously.

‘Oh, just stocking up on supplies,’ Dean replies lightly, smirking at Aidan out of the corner of his eye. Aidan mouths _thanks_ at him. Aidan spends so little time at his own house that Dean _knows_ there will be absolutely no food in his fridge, no coffee or milk or biscuits for when company stop by. He should really just suggest they go to Dean’s house but Dean doesn’t know if Graham, James et al will have removed their carcasses from his living room floor yet.

Aidan’s house is sparsely furnished and very tidy, a fact that Adrian comments on with a dry smile. ‘His room at home – ‘

‘May I be blunt?’ Aidan interjects. Dean cringes over the cups of tea he’s making in the kitchenette. Both of his parents blink at him. ‘What are you doing here? The last time I saw you both – well, I didn’t see you much, did I? It was a pretty brief visit and you paraded a bunch of tarts – ‘

‘Aidan!’

‘ – in front of me, but there was very little “how’s the job going, Aidan?” or “how do you like New Zealand, Aidan?” or “how’s that drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend of yours, Aidan?” And you didn’t even call me to ask if I was coming home for _Christmas_ and now you’re here and I don’t know why.’ Jesus, he sounds like he’s about to burst into tears. Dean delivers the cups of tea to the coffee table and sits down.

Adrian sighs. ‘Sit down, son. Please.’

‘Look,’ Rosemary says softly, ‘We’re…we’re sorry about all that unpleasantness over Skype awhile back. We didn’t handle the issue very well.’

‘No shit,’ Aidan mumbles, dropping onto the two-seater beside Dean.

‘Don’t swear,’ Rosemary says automatically. ‘You must understand, Aidan, that this is very difficult for us. No, it is,’ she goes on, holding up one hand as Aidan opens his mouth to protest. ‘We’ve raised you the best we could, in what we thought was the right way, and you dropped a bombshell on us with no warning and no way of dealing with it. Of course we’re going to react negatively.’

‘You said I was shaming the entire family!’ Aidan shrieks. ‘I’m pretty sure the words “eternal damnation” were uttered!’ 

Adrian frowns and looks as if he’s about to admonish his son (clock him one, if Dean’s being honest) but Dean gets there first. ‘Aidan, please shut up and let your mother speak.’ Aidan glares. Dean shrugs at him.

‘Thank you, Dean.’ She takes a long sip of tea. ‘We’ve done a lot of thinking about this, you see. We’ve considered all the options and spoken to a lot of people.’

‘Jesus Christ, mum, did you ask the entire town what to do about your son shacking up with another bloke?’

‘Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,’ she snaps. ‘And of course not. I consulted a few close friends and neighbours. We were frightened, Aidan. Frightened for you.’

‘But it doesn’t mean anythin’ different!’ Aidan says emphatically, wringing his hands again.

‘Anyway,’ Adrian carries on for his wife, ‘We found out that we’re not the only ones.’

‘What do you mean?’ Aidan asks.

‘With a child in a s-same sex relationship.’ Dean elbows Aidan to cut off the sarcastic response he can see forming. ‘And do you know what else we noticed?’

Aidan waits two full beats, probably rolling various rude comebacks in his mind before deciding on, ‘What’s that?’

‘The ones who had cut off contact with their children because of that were miserable,’ Rosemary says with a sad smile. ‘And we don’t want that to happen to us. Or to you.’ Dean can feel his eyes growing moist and fuck, won’t it be embarrassing if he cries before anyone else does? He looks over at Aidan who, for once, appear struck dumb.

‘We may not ever…agree…with who you choose to love,’ Adrian adds, ‘But we love you and want you to be happy, so we will do our best to accept it. And them.’ He inclines his head at Dean.

‘Aw, hell,’ Aidan says, jamming his fists in his eyes. ‘I mean heck, sorry mum. Thank you both. That’s all I can ask for. It’s also more than I’m equipped to handle right now, can we talk about something else?’

***

Apparently ‘something else’ means Dean answering a lot of questions about himself (there’s a lot of time to make up for, after all). They seem surprised by his age (‘I’d never have guessed thirty-five!’) and pleased by his other occupation (‘It’s so good that you have something to fall back on,’) and intrigued by the fact that Aidan is his first boyfriend. Really, it’s a fairly banal meet-the-parents routine, and it’s one that Dean has never been happier to be a part of. Even with a raging hangover.

They stay for ten days. The cast is still working for some of those days so Adrian and Rosemary have to entertain themselves while Dean and Aidan are busy – Vicky takes care of that, bless her. Dean is indebted to his mother more than he can say. 

Then Aidan is asked if he’ll come home for a week over Christmas and he absolutely jumps at the chance. Dean isn’t extended the same offer, but –

‘Not just yet, love,’ Rosemary says kindly. ‘Perhaps next year.’

She sounds like she means it, too. Dean accepts her farewell embrace graciously (Adrian tries to break his hand as a parting gift – ‘You’ve got rather a strong grip for a little fellow!’ ‘Dad! Dean is not that short, god,’) and murmurs in his ear, ‘Take care of my son.’

And he’s trying to, he really is.

**Author's Note:**

> In terms of the timeline (fuck the timeline, I'm getting so lost the further I get into this series lol) this is December '11. The next part will be the premiere in December '12.
> 
> Also (completely off-topic, except kind of not because slash IS involved)...I just signed up to tumblr (it was one of the few social media platforms I hadn't jumped on the bandwagon of yet lol) and I have no clue what to do. Can I like...follow some of you guys? :P Somebody teach meeeee


End file.
